THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996            TAG: 9609290085
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: STAUNTON                          LENGTH:   52 lines

VMI ADMITTING WOMEN WON'T SPELL END OF VWIL ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM AT MARY BALDWIN HAS A FOLLOWING OF ITS OWN, LEADERS SAY.

The main reason the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership was created has vanished, but cadets and administrators say the fledgling, all-female system will flourish.

They also don't expect the program at Mary Baldwin College to compete with Virginia Military Institute for women who want a leadership-oriented, military education. VMI announced a week ago it would enroll women next fall.

``My guess is we're looking for a pretty different population,'' VWIL director Brenda L. Bryant said.

``They (VWIL women) like the idea that it was designed for them, and that they've had a lot of say in how it was designed and implemented. They've pretty much run the show.''

Plus, VWIL cadets say, Mary Baldwin offered the single-sex environment they sought. VMI doesn't.

``The people who are looking at VMI and the people who are looking at VWIL are looking for totally different things,'' said Lt. Kimberly Bond, a sophomore from Radford.

``It's just going to be whether they want to prove points or become effective leaders,'' she said. ``The women that come here, I don't think they want to prove points.''

VMI's board of visitors voted Sept. 21 to admit women, ending six years of legal battles to keep them out. Two years ago, the General Assembly and the VMI Foundation Inc. had promised more than $5 million to help Mary Baldwin - a private college - to set up and run VWIL as an alternative to enrolling women at VMI.

A state subsidy of $7,400 per Virginia student lowered tuition to about what it costs to attend VMI, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that VWIL was inadequate as an alternative.

Mary Baldwin officials, however, believe the program has a market. Now in its second year, VWIL has 79 cadets, including 36 sophomores and 43 ``nulls'' - as in null and void - from the freshman class. Administrators hope to have a class of about 40 nulls next year, too.

``All the indications have been that it's a very successful program, and we're moving forward,'' school spokeswoman Crista Cabe said. ``Mary Baldwin was in a win-win situation. (VMI) gave us the resources and was a catalyst for us to get it done quickly.''

The private, alumni-fed VMI Foundation Inc. is obligated to pay VWIL $22,000 a month until this year's freshman class graduates in the year 2000.

The $7,400 subsidy from the General Assembly is in the budget through the next school year, but it's unclear if it will continue.

VWIL expects to find other sources of funding by the time the VMI Foundation and state money run out, Cabe said. by CNB